POTTSTOWN — Not everyone who owns property in the 300 block of King St. supports YWCA Tri County Area’s request for the closure of the street on Oct. 23-24-25 in order to restore the Black Lives Matter street mural and host Week Without Violence events.
Art Miller, who owns property at 324 King St. and 323 E. High St., spoke at length to the borough council Wednesday night, laying out several reasons he believes the request for the street closure permit should be denied when the council votes on the matter at its Oct. 14 meeting.
Miller said the mural should never have been approved by the council in 2021, given that the petition to put it in place had only 10 signatures, which does not represent a significant enough percentage of the property owners there to meet the conditions of the ordinance.
Over the previous years, when the street has been closed for this reason, Miller said access to the businesses on the block has not been maintained as required, and that the barricades often remain up overnight, in violation of the permit conditions.
He maintained that some of the signatures signed in support of this year’s closure were signed by people “who did not know what they were signing” or who signed “to avoid retribution.”
Miller said, “Murals in the traffic lane are a distraction to drivers, causing a hazard,” which could create a liability issue for the borough. “That’s a lawsuit waiting to happen, and that should be a concern to the borough.”
Miller further argued that what is painted onto the street “is not a mural, it’s a sign. It makes a political statement, which makes it a sign.” Laws prevent signs “in the public right of way.”
“This is not a beautification mural. Black Lives Matter is a political message. Murals are for beautification, not messages.” Miller said. “Public, taxpayer-funded streets are inappropriate places for political messages.”
Allowing the mural could open up the borough to other political message requests, Miller said. “The precedent is set,” he said, asking what council would do if a request for a mural that read “Heil Hitler” or “King Donald” were to be made. “Think of the exposure we have. You need to stop this nonsense before it becomes a bigger problem.”
He also cited laws which prohibit signs that display words or images of an “obscene” or “pornographic: nature, adding, “there are many that find that phrase (Black Lives Matter) obscene.” He further noted there is no written procedure to determine what is obscene, further clouding the issue.
Miller cited a recent Pew Research Center poll released in May, which shows that 45 percent of adults oppose that movement, which is down from a high of 67 percent in 2020.
Miller said he has heard the argument that the phase is not related to the Black Lives Matter organization, “but how is anybody supposed to know that?”
He described the Black Lives Matter organization as “corrupt,” saying “millions of dollars were extorted from businesses under threat of protest or boycott,” and that some of that money was “embezzled by the leadership.”
The BLM movement consists of various local and national organizations, and the allegations and convictions are often for individuals or specific groups, not the entire movement itself, a Mercury fact-check revealed.
In 2022, Black Lives Matter (BLM) leaders sued an executive of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation on charges of syphoning $10 million in donations to the organization for use as his own “personal piggy bank,” The Hill reported.
“Walter Mosley, an attorney representing BLM Grassroots — a separate entity from GNF — filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court against GNF and GNF board member Shalomyah Bowers, as well as his consulting firm,” according to The Hill.
Separately, last year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Ohio announced “Sir Maejor Page, 35, of Toledo, was sentenced to 42 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Helmick after a jury convicted him of wire fraud and money laundering for defrauding donors of more than $450,000 that they collectively gave to his nonprofit “Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta.”
Miller also said the Black Lives Matter web page contains statements like “It’s Still Defund the Police,” which is true.
Miller also quoted the statement on the web page. “We envision a future fully divested of police, prisons and all punishment paradigms.” However, he neglected to quote the entire phrase, which ends with, “a future which invests in justice, joy and culture.”
Miller then made the leap that “it’s this kind of ‘soft-on-crime position that is directly responsible for the release of an individual 14 times,” who has been charged with a murder on a North Carolina light rail train in August.
He referred to the death of Iryna Zarvtska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who died after being stabbed three times from behind, including once in the neck, just minutes after boarding a local train in Charlotte. Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., who his mother said has schizophrenia and has been arrested 14 times over the years, has been charged with the crime. A judge ordered a 60-day psychological evaluation.
Video footage from the train indicates Brown said, “I got that white girl,” and the case may be prosecuted as a hate crime.
The case has become a talking point for right-wing political commentators, and The Charlotte Observer wrote that the case has been politicized. Vice President J.D. Vance, like Miller, blamed the killing on “soft-on-crime policies.”
There is no reporting indicating that any part of the police investigation of this killing involves Black Lives Matter.
The YWCA Tri-County Area leadership was made aware of Miller’s statements by The Mercury and asked for comment.
They provided this statement:
“YWCA Tri County Area has proudly served the Pottstown community since our inception in 1908 and misleading agendas, false accusations, and attempts to diminish our reputation have been present equally as long. Despite the challenges, YWCA’s dedication to the elimination of racism, empowerment of women, and the promotion of peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all has not wavered. We trust our community to evaluate claims made against us in contrast with the thousands of individuals, families, staff, board members, volunteers, donors, and allies we’ve been fortunate to encounter over the past 117 years.”
“The art installation on the 300 block of King Street, which mimics one in Norristown, has served as a visual reminder of our mission and has been restored, as agreed, for the past four years. However, it is not the art that makes YWCA such a remarkable institution in Pottstown, but rather, the people who have benefited from or contributed to moving the mission forward. We invite our community to join us as we celebrate our annual Week Without Violence from Oct. 20 through 25,” the statement said.
“We hope you’ll join us on Tuesday, Oct. 21 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. for a restorative workshop centered on this year’s theme: “Protecting Mothers, Nurturing Futures;” on Thursday, Oct. 23 for mural restoration from 10 a.m.to 7 p.m.; a Voter Support Fair from 3 to 6 p.m.; an Expungement Clinic hosted by Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office from 5 to 6 p.m. where a child advocacy representative will also be present; and on Saturday, Oct. 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for our annual Week Without Violence Block Party dedicated to protecting mothers and building futures free from violence. This year’s theme, Safe Beginnings, reflects our commitment to creating a world where women and children can thrive and will feature over 50 local organizations, live music, food, raffles, and giveaways. All are welcome to join us and be part of the change,” the statement said.
At the end of Wednesday’s council meeting, Councilman Joe Kirkland addressed Miller’s comments, although obliquely.
“It’s great that we live in the United States. It’s a great thing that we live here. A lot of people come for a public forum and lie and exaggerate and put out political statements that are untrue and not even verified or vetted. But it’s great, it’s great that we allow situations where people can come and spew their agenda. It’s just great. The United States is an amazing place.”
